The Gathering
by Merrick-Shayla-Cole-Alyssa
Summary: Set after the Last episode of Wild Force
1. Cover

The Gathering


	2. Disclaimer

I do not in own this story. It was written by a fantastic author by the name of Wandering Hawk. All I did was edit it to suit me. If you want to read the original, go to w w w dot angel fire dot com / ak / wandering hawk / animaria h t m l

I do not own Power Rangers in any way.


	3. Chapter 1

**Noble Tiger**

There was a crash from behind her, and she jumped. Instinct made her whirl, even as she saw some of the kids starting to giggle. She was just in time to catch a golden ear disappearing from the glass window set into the classroom door.

Alyssa turned back to her class with a puzzled look on her face, though she was trying very hard not to smile. "Was there someone at the door?" she asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

"No, Ms. Enrile!" three or four of the children chorused.

"Well, all right," she said, lifting the picture book she'd been reading from again. "I guess we'll just have to finish this story, then."

The giggles started before she could pick up where she'd left off, and she gave them all a reproving look. "Michael..." She singled out a boy in the front row. "Is there someone at the door?"

Michael's eyes widened, and he shook his head vigorously. Next to him, Elan covered her mouth with both hands in an effort not to giggle. Alyssa turned slowly, giving their visitor plenty of time to hide, and as expected she saw nothing but an empty window.

This time, the thump came again as soon as she turned her back, and the giggling got louder. "Well," Alyssa said, closing her book and setting it on the floor, "I guess I'm going to have to go see for myself."

This was greeted by protests from her kindergarten class, and she smiled to herself as she walked over to the door. She knew perfectly well who was there. Nobody made monkey faces like Cole, and the thumping had sounded suspiciously like a seventy-pound dog trying to jump high enough to see through the door.

She opened the door to find the former Lion Ranger pressed up against the wall on one side and Ness seated obediently on the other. She couldn't help laughing at the picture they presented, and Cole gave her a disarming grin. "We were in the neighborhood..."

She pulled the door open the rest of the way, motioning for him to come in. "Elan's allergic," she reminded him softly, nodding to Ness. Then, louder, she announced, "It's just about time to catch the bus, so we'll finish our story tomorrow afternoon. Everyone gather up your jackets and lunchboxes, all right?"

"Ms. Enrile, can we play with Ness?" Eternity wanted to know, already sidling closer.

"Go get your jacket," she said firmly. "If you ask Mr. Evans nicely, maybe he'll let Ness walk out to the bus with you."

"Mr. Evans, please can Ness come with us to the bus?"

"Only if you get your jackets and lunchboxes like Ms. Enrile told you to," Cole answered, going down on one knee so he was closer to the kids' height. "You wouldn't want to have to call your mom because you missed the bus, would you?"

"My mom wouldn't care," Eternity insisted, but she drifted over to the coat rack nonetheless.

A little girl with pigtails made a beeline for Ness, and Cole scooped her up before she could reach the golden retriever. "No you don't," he said with a laugh, tossing her up in the air, lunchbox and all. "You don't want to get another rash, do you?"

Alyssa smiled, putting a hand on Michael's shoulder as he darted for the door. "Where's your lunchbox?" she asked, pulling the door shut so no one could sneak out while she wasn't looking.

Michael groaned comically, turning and racing back toward the coat rack. The group around Ness was growing, and Alyssa took a quick headcount while they were mostly occupied. Michael, Jake, and Chelsea were the only ones still hanging back. Michael was getting his lunchbox, Chelsea was afraid of dogs, and Jake...

"Jake," Alyssa called, spotting the girl on the floor at the back of the room. "Are you almost ready?"

"Yes, Ms. Enrile." Jake stood with obvious reluctance, and only then did Alyssa see what she was holding. The girl had picked up the book Alyssa had been reading from earlier and was studying the last few pages intently.

As the last few stragglers joined their classmates by the door, Alyssa put her finger to her lips. "Remember to be quiet while we're walking through the halls, all right?" A few of the children nodded solemnly, but most of them were too distracted by Ness to pay any attention.

She pushed the door open, leading the way toward the front of the school where the buses waited. Ness bounced along beside them, loving the attention, while Cole brought up the rear with Elan riding piggyback. The kids swarmed out into the sunshine, only a couple of them lagging behind with Ness when the buses were in sight.

Alyssa counted them off again as they climbed onto the appropriate buses, and she glanced back in time to see Cole waving to Elan as the girl ran over to her dad. Eternity's mom was waiting as well, and both parents caught Alyssa's eye and smiled before turning away. She was finally learning all the parents' names, and she waved happily in return.

The bell rang just as she and Cole were turning back to the building, and she pointed toward the corner instead. The kindergarten room had its own door, and it would be easier to go back in that way instead of wading through the crush of older students running for the buses. Two of her kindergarteners waved from their bus as they passed, and Cole smiled as she waved back.

"Have a good day?" he asked, putting his hands in his pockets. Ness paced along at his side, as sedately as it was possible for a golden retriever to pace, and Alyssa nodded.

"A great day," she said with a smile. "We did finger painting and we played 'name that wild zord'. Michael got the falcon and the eagle confused..."

"They're not anything alike!" Cole exclaimed indignantly, and she tried not to giggle.

"Well, Jake thought White Tiger and cat zord were the same animal," she offered. "If that makes you feel any better."

"Hey--" Cole stopped abruptly, and she looked up in surprise. She followed his gaze. There, sitting on his Lunar-cycle, was Merrick. His wolf head morpher on his wrist. He wore his howling wolf jacket. What surprised them most of all was Princess Shayla sitting behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Princess." Alyssa exclaimed. She took off running, with Cole and Ness at her heels.

Princess Shayla got off the bike and threw her arms around her friend. "Alyssa, Cole, how are you?"

"We're doing great." Cole responded. He gave an acknowledging nod toward Merrick. He nodded back.

"Yeah." Alyssa agreed. She held up her left hand. A gold wedding band glittered on her hand. "Cole and I are married."

"Congratulations." the Princess's voice was full of warmth. Cole started laughing. The two young woman turned to look. Ness had slowly walked up to Merrick and was sniffing his leg.

Merrick laughed too. "I probably have Moon's scent on me." Moon was Merrick's half dog, half wolf pup. Merrick reached down and patted her on the head.

"How have you been?" Alyssa asked? "I thought you were going back to sleep. And, Merrick, I thought you were traveling the globe."

"I was. Turtle Cove is the only home I really know. My place is here." He replied.

"I guess I was supposed to fall into an eternal sleep again, but Animus appeared to me and informed me that instead of sleeping, I would be watching over the Wild Zords." Princess Shayla answered. "Last time, they fell into an eternal slumber when I did. This time we were meant to stay awake. The wolf Zord informed me of Merrick's return so I sought him out." She paused, glancing at Merrick.

"That's the reason why we're here." Merrick stated. "Unfortunately, this isn't a social call. You're needed once again. We all are." He held up his hand that had his morpher."

"What ever it is, we'll do it." Cole stated firmly. Alyssa nodded in agreement.


	4. Chapter 2

**Soaring Eagle**

Her boots had barely touched the pavement before she knew something was wrong. The tarmac was too quiet, filled only by the clang of maintenance and the roar of flybys like her own. She let go of the ladder and scanned the area quickly, wondering what could account for the absence of shouts and enthusiastic chatter.

Then she saw them. For a moment, Taylor was sure she was hallucinating. Sun spots in her eyes, maybe; that happened to some pilots. Because there was no way the people she saw standing not twenty feet away could be there.

"Taylor!" One called, lifting his chin in acknowledgement.

She relaxed. She was not hallucinating. "That's Lieutenant Earhardt to you!" she shouted jokingly. Tucking her helmet under her elbow, she ducked under the wing of her fighter and made as if to leave.

Glancing over her shoulder she saw that the one male had a bewildered look upon his face. She smiled to herself, turned and ran to her friends and old teammates.

Cole lifted his arms and threw them around her. She playfully pulled away from him, but it was clear he had something to say that he couldn't just yell across the runway at her.

When he and the young woman, Alyssa, turned to lead her off the tarmac, though, she stopped and said, "Hey."

They paused, and she added, "Whatever you have to say, you can say it here. I can't leave base right now. We're going back in the air in less then twenty minutes"

"Stubborn as ever, I see." Cole joked.

She tossed her head, forgetting for a moment that her hair was confined to a braid. She looked around. "How did you guys get in here? This base is usually secure."

Alyssa held up her left hand displaying the growl phone for all to see. "There aren't too many people that will argue with a Wild Force Ranger, let alone two."

Taylor smirked. "That's true."

"Taylor," Cole said urgently, his voice just loud enough to reach her ears. "We need you."

"For what?"

"Our old job." Alyssa said, not moving.

Eyes wide, mouth open, she sighed. "How? Princess Shayla and the zords are sleeping, she has our morphers and our vests…" Cole and Alyssa exchanged a glance. Alyssa held up her hand again, revealing her growl phone morpher. Then she raised her other hand.

Her gaze flicked to her curiously, and her eyes widened. She was holding her growl phone; the etched feathers were instantly recognizable in the sunlight.

"Where did you get that?" she asked, reaching for it. Alyssa opened her hand, the morpher laying flat on her palm.

"The only thing is, you will need to leave the base." Cole told her.

"Cole," she said, torn. "I have a commission and an oath. I can't just leave and you know it."

"Our morphers got us in," he replied. "No reason yours can't get you out."

He was right. The Animarium mission had given her special dispensation with regard to the Rangers. Her daily 1500 flights were condoned only because the eagle made the radar scream... If she said she'd been called back, they would let her go with no questions asked.

She eyed the growl phone in her hand. She wanted it. She wanted that life again. But it was over, and they had all moved on. There was no going back, and she had always known that. She just hadn't known how hard it would be to live it.

"How did you get them?" she asked, lifting her gaze to view her two friends.

"Let's just say... a mutual friend gave it to us."

"Why?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.. "What's going on?"

"Come with us and we will explain everything." Alyssa said.

She held out her hand with a sigh. "Count me in."


	5. Chapter 3

**Surging Shark**

"We practically have to go out," Max argued, watching Danny rummage through his pockets for the keys. "It's not like we have anything to eat. And who wants to sit at home on our first night back?"

"There's cereal," Danny countered. "And pasta. And canned soup doesn't go bad. Who wants to go out on our first night back?"

"How can you have lost the keys?" Max demanded, as Danny switched to his duffel bag.

"You just had them at the airport!"

"Maybe if the landlord installed metal detectors in our apartment building, I'd have them now," Danny muttered. "Wait!" Suddenly he brightened, dropping several things on the floor as he pulled his hand out of his duffel bag. "I got them!"

Max rolled his eyes as he reached down to collect his friend's errant belongings. "So much for your highly organized approach to packing," he commented, plucking the keys out of Danny's hand and fitting one of them to the lock.

"It's not that it's packed in an organized way," Danny protested, using his bag to push the door further open as he followed Max inside. "It's that the packing process itself was very organized. I was done in half the time it took you."

"That's because you had half the stuff!" Max tossed the keys on the counter and dropped his backpack in the middle of the floor. He trudged back out into the hallway and swung his second backpack over his shoulder, then piled his two duffel bags on top of each other and shoved them through the doorway.

"We have more voice mail," Danny announced, sounding a little dismayed. "I just checked it last night!"

"We're popular guys," Max reminded him. He kicked the door shut and threw himself down on the futon behind it. "Ah," he added, closing his eyes. "Home sweet home..."

"Hi, guys." Kendall's voice filled the apartment, and he smiled to himself as he heard Danny sigh. "I saw your voice mail was empty, so I thought I'd be the first to welcome you home. I watered the violets this morning, and there's a note on the table for you when you get in. I'll call tonight to make sure you're home safe. See you at work tomorrow!"

"She says she's glad the trip went well," Danny called, apparently having read the note while he listened. "She can't wait to see what the greenhouses looked like, and she's already rearranging displays to accommodate some of the new exotics."

"Welcome home guys!" This time it was Alyssa on the phone, and Max sat up abruptly. Many times Alyssa's cooking had been their compromise between going out and eating in, and she might yet save them from a night of canned soup and pasta.

"I hope you had a great time," she continued. "We got your postcard yesterday; thanks! You guys look good with roses in your teeth. You should see if Kendall could use that for advertising or something.

"Anyway, I'm sure you'll both be tired when you get in, so I'm going to make extra dinner tonight. We'll be eating around six if you want to join us. If not, we'll see you this weekend at the rink. Welcome back!"

"If you tell Kendall what she said about advertising, I'm never speaking to you again," Max said, pushing himself up off the futon and heading toward the bedroom. He ignored the bags he had dropped on the floor, but the next voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Max, Danny." A voice rang out. They both paused in what they were doing. They new that voice but it wasn't possible. "This is Princess Shayla. Welcome home. I really hate to bring the rain down on your first night back but we have a situation. Tell you more at seven."

Danny was adjusting the angle of the light over his violets, apparently unconcerned by the message. "Is that tonight at seven?"

"Hey, it's Cole," the phone interrupted yet again. "Merrick and Princess Shayla caught up with me and Alyssa at the school. They says there's some important stuff going on at the Animarium. If you guys want to come over early, we can eat and go together. Call when you get in. Bye."

"End of messages," the voice mail administrator added. "To listen to your messages, press one. To record a personal greeting, press--"

Max hung up on the voice mail. According to the microwave clock, it was just after four. Plenty of time to throw everything on the floor of the bedroom and catch some sun before dinner. Alyssa really was a lifesaver.

Giving his stuff a second glance, he amended his plan. Plenty of time to leave everything right where it was and catch some sun before dinner. Danny was still fussing over his violets, and Max knew what he was going to say before he asked. But he asked anyway, because that was what friends did.

"I'm going down to the dock," he announced, hopping up on the counter beside Danny. "Want to come with?"

Danny looked up, giving him a distracted smile. "No, thanks," he said. "I'm going to call Kendall and tell her we're back. I'll call Alyssa, too, and tell her we're coming over?"

"Sure," Max agreed, jumping down again. "She cooks way better than either of us. I'll be back in a little while."

"All right," Danny agreed. "See you."

"See you!" Max called back, heading out the door. The best thing about a friend like Danny was that he never had to explain himself. Well, that and the fact that Danny never called him "kid".


End file.
